Troppo Architects is an Australian architectural practice with the aim of promoting good tropical architecture in Australia's Top End. The practice was founded in 1980 in Darwin with the aid of a Northern Territory grant to examine the history of the region's architecture.Penny McGuire: "Darwin's evolution - Troppo Architects' design of the Pee Wees at the Point restaurant in Darwin, Australia", in The Architectural Review, Feb 1999

The practice has established offices in six Australian locations (Darwin, Adelaide, Fremantle, Launceston, Sydney and Byron Bay) and has completed projects in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. "It has a reputation for spare intelligent architecture that has evolved out of the architects' feeling for tradition and landscape. Not least, their buildings are designed for the climate."

History In the late 1970s, Phil Harris and Adrian Welke were two young Adelaide-raised Bachelor of Architecture students. In 1978, their final year of undergraduate study, they collaborated on the publication of "Influences in Regional Architecture", Australia's first history of architecture outside the urban arena.

Troppo Architects was founded in 1980 by Harris and Welke, whose early careers had taken them to Darwin. The practice commenced with the aid of an NT Government history grant to research (and eventually define and publicise) the History of Tropical Housing in Australia's Top End. The practice had a slow start, but gained momentum when they were successful in a Low Cost House Competition organised by the City of Darwin, and they were engaged to build a prototype of their design. The prototype was economical to build, climatically comfortable to live in, easy to extend, and also uses little energy. In its first decade, the practice refined and extended its skill in addressing the architectural requirements of the "Top End", gaining a wide range of work, including with remote aboriginal communities. Their approach has been applied to projects in: the Kimberley, Perth, Esperance, and inland WA; Adelaide, coastal, rural and far-northern SA; Melbourne and Victoria; Alice Springs and the centre; Townsville, and north and far north Queensland; and most recently, inland and north-coast NSW.

In 1987, the practice was selected by the Gagudju Community, administrators of the Kakadu National Park, to design some park facilities. Joining with Glenn Murcutt, the collaboration was (to quote Murcutt) "highly productive". The work lead to international critical acclaim, and a number of important commissions. The practice spread out across Australia: Phil Harris opened an office in Adelaide in 1999, and Adrian Welke opened an office Perth, leaving the original office in the hands of Dan Connolly.

In 2010, Troppo was run by five partners spread out across Australia: Greg MacNamara (Darwin), Geoff Clark (Launceston), Terry O'toole (Queensland: Brisbane & Townsville), Phil Harris (Adelaide), Adrian Welke (Perth) and Dan Connolly (Byron Bay). They work with a team of around twenty people and regularly collaborate with well-known architects such as Danny Wong, Glenn Murcutt, Phil Tait and Shane Thompson.

Directors Troppo's founding directors are Phil Harris (Adelaide) and Adrian Welke (Perth). Other directors are Jo Best (Darwin), Cary Duffield (Adelaide), Greg Norman (Sydney), Geoff Clark (Launceston) and Sue Harper (Byron Bay).

Former directors include Greg McNamara, Lena Yali, Richard Layton, Fiona Hogg and Terry O'Toole.

Selected projects

Project AwardsCommonwealth Defence Housing Authority, Larrakeyah Housing Precinct 2, Larrakeyah, Darwin, 1993 RAIA Robin Boyd Award, 1993 Top End Hotel, Darwin, 1998 RAIA (NT) President's Award for Recycled Buildings, 1999PeeWee's Restaurant, 1997 RAIA (NT) Tracy Memorial Award, 1998 RAIA Award for Commercial Buildings, 1998Bowali Visitor Centre, Kakadu National Park, 1993(in association with Glenn Murcutt + Assoc) RAIA Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture, 1994 RAIA (NT) People's Choice Award, 1994 RAIA (NT) Tracy Memorial Award, 1994 AIA Northern Territory Enduring Architecture Award, 2018 Metal Building Award, 1994-5(National Award by BHP/ Metal Building Products Manuf. Assoc.)Lavarack Barracks, Townsville, 2000(in association with Bligh Voller Nield) RAIA Robin Boyd Award, 2002AIA: "Lavarack Barracks", retrieved 23 March 2013 RAIA (Qld) Robin Dods Award, 2002 RAIA (Qld) Sustainable Architecture Award, 2002Thiel House, Darwin, 1998 RAIA (NT) Tracy Memorial Award, 1999 RAIA (NT) Burnett Award, 1999 Commendation, RAIA Robin Boyd Award, 1999Rozak House, Darwin, 2000–2001RAIA Sustainable Architecture Award, 2002AIA: "Rozak House", retrieved 23 March 2013 RAIA (NT) Sustainable Architecture Award, 2002 RAIA (NT) Burnett Award, 2002 Commendation, RAIA Robin Boyd Award, 2002 MBA National Environment and Energy Award, 2003St Mary's Primary School, Darwin, 2010Hall, Library, Early Learning Centre & Courtyard, AIA (NT) Colorbond Steel Award, 2011 AIA (NT) Tracy Award, 2011 AIA (NT) Urban Design Award, 2011Tropology for Defence Housing Australia, Darwin, 2017 AIA Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture, Multiple Housing, 2017 AIA (NT) Architecture Award, Multiple Housing, 2017

Awards Troppo is nationally and internationally recognised, and is Australia's third most awarded practice. A full list of the details of awards can be found on the practice's website.Awards, www.troppoarchitects.com.au

In addition to those mentioned above, they include: 1992 Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) (NT) Tracy Memorial Award for Works in Kakadu for ANPWS 1992 RAIA Special Jury Award for architecture in Northern Australia 1993 RAIA Robin Boyd Award for Medium Density Precinct 2, Larrakeyah, for Defence Housing Australia (DHA) 2010 Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, ParisLOCUS foundation: The Global Award for Sustainable Architecture , 2010 winners Troppo Architects: 2014 Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal awarded to Adrian Welke and Phil Harris

Summary of AIA/RAIA awards Institute Award YearAIA/RAIA(NT) Architectural Innovation Award 1992 (twice) Burnett Award 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2011 Colorbond Steel Award 2011 Multiple Housing Award 2009 People's Choice Award 1994, 1995, 2009 President's Award for Recycled Buildings 1992, 1994, 1999 Public Architecture Award 2008 Sustainable Architecture Award 2002 Tracy Memorial Award 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2011, 2014, 2016 Urban Design Award 2008, 2011Northern Territory Enduring Architecture Award 2018 AIA/RAIA (North Qld) NQ House of the Year 2010 AIA/RAIA (Qld) Colorbond Award 2001 AIA/RAIA (SA) Colorbond Steel Award 2010 John S Chappel Award for Residential Architecture, Houses (New) 2009 National AIA/RAIA Special Jury Award 1992 Robin Boyd Award 1993, 2002 Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture 1994 Award for Commercial Buildings 1998 Sustainable Architecture Award 2002 Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture, Multiple Housing 2017

Summary of non-AIA/RAIA awards Adelaide Affordable Ecohousing Competition, winner, 2004 Arafura Medium Density Residential Design Competition, winner, 2006 Global Award for Sustainable Architecture, Paris, 2010 HIA (SA) Custom Built Homes Award, 2003 MBA Building Excellence Award, 2003 MBA National Environment and Energy Award, 2003 Metal Building Award, 1994-5 (National Award by BHP / Metal Building Products Manuf. Assoc. for Bowali Visitor Centre, Kakadu National Park) Northern Rivers Urban Design Awards, Award for Excellence, 2008 Northern Rivers Urban Design Awards, Grand Winner, 2008 Tel Aviv University Visitor Centre & School of Environmental Studies, International competition winner, 2002 Thuringowa City Council's Climate Responsive Design Competition, winner, 2003 Timber Design Awards, SA, 2010 Tropical House Design Comp, Winner, Darwin, June 1990

References

Sources Goad, Philip (1999/2005) Troppo Architects, Pesaro Publishing.

External links Troppo Architects